


Just Enough Time

by PuppetRhymes



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 02:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5029537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppetRhymes/pseuds/PuppetRhymes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just so we’re clear, after I kill you, I’m going to kill them, then I’m going to kill your father. But first, I’ll start with your precious Oliver-“</p><p>“NO!”<br/>—<br/>Or, how everybody found out Barry and Oliver were engaged without either of the vigilantes saying so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Enough Time

**Author's Note:**

> Olivarry Week - Day 2: Coming Out. A big thank you to SwiftEmera for proof reading for me!

It’s not that Barry isn’t happy for his friends- it’s quite the opposite, in fact. He’s ecstatic for the couple, honoured to be included in a wedding that has taken far too long and Caitlin looks beautiful in her dress, Ronnie smiling at her as she ducks her head, walking down their makeshift aisle. It’s not even because Iris and Eddie have knotted their fingers together, sharing a small smile as Iris holds the bouquet up to her chest with bright eyes, her shoulder brushing the older man’s, clearly relieved to have mended their relationship as best they can, considering the circumstances.

And it’s not because of the look Joe is giving him out of the corner of his eye, though the reason for his worry is related to the cause of Barry’s glum mood even as the newlywed couple seal their marriage with a kiss. His own ring seems to have gained a thousand pounds around his neck, resting heavy under his shirt, against his chest.

He hasn’t told Oliver what he’s about to do, hasn’t told him that he’s going back in time _again_ to save his mother and allowing Wells – _Eobard_ – to go free. The guilt of the thought makes him ill, knowing what Oliver would say if he knew what the speedster was about to attempt, what Oliver would _do_. Barry knows he’s being selfish, that he’s _running away_ but he just- he needs to save his mum. Has wanted to, _needed to_ since the night the lightning tore through his house, since the night the Reverse Flash stabbed his mother in the heart and his dad was taken away in cuffs.

And so he keeps his silence, doesn’t dare look at Oliver’s name on his phone.

But he can’t ignore the vicious ache in his heart as his friends cheer around him, Caitlin beaming as she’s wrapped up in Ronnie’s arms as Stein and Cisco look on proudly, Iris giggling as she leans further into Eddie and all out once he feels like he’s suffocating because _this_ is what he’s leaving behind.

Barry’s startled out of his stupor as Joe places a warm hand on his shoulder to anchor him before he has a panic attack and if the Detective notices the tears in his son’s eyes, he doesn’t mention it.

 

* * *

 

“Just so we’re clear, after I kill you, I’m going to kill them, then I’m going to kill your father. But first, I’ll start with your _precious Oliver_ -“

 

“NO!”

Anger bubbles under Barry’s skin, rushing through his limbs as he shoves the Reverse Flash away from him, sending the other speedster flying into the opposite wall of the pipeline. The sudden panicked shout startles Eddie, who’d been lining up a kill shot directed at himself. Jerking in surprise the bullet misses, cutting clean through the detective’s shoulder with a deafening bang. Joe is the first to move, crying out his partner’s name as the blond man folds in on himself, and gun rattling noisily in his grip as red soaks into the fabric of his shirt.

Barry’s only distracted by the scene for a fraction of a second before Eobard is delivering a painful kick to gut, leaving him breathless and breaking at least one rib when he collides with the wall. He pushes himself up, rolling out of the way before Eobard can land another painful blow, letting the protective fear and aggression take control of his movements.

Cisco barely moves out of the way in time as the pair of metahumans morph back into a blur of red and yellow lightning, blood splattering across the surface of the pipeline, highlighted by the flashes of energy that snap through the air. Across from the engineer, Joe has made his way to Eddie and all but snatched the gun out of the younger man’s hand, swearing under his breath as he helps put pressure on the still-bleeding wound. Iris has stumbled into the accelerator with flushed cheeks and tear-filled eyes, barely taking the time to watch for a potential threat as she drops to her knees beside her boyfriend, voice thick and shaky as she scolds him.

Her rant is interrupted by the strangled scream of Barry, flat on his back while Wells looms over him panting, one foot pressed firmly against the younger man’s chest to keep him pinned. Barry is fighting for air, pushing useless against Well’s leg in an attempt to free himself.

“I have waited _centuries_ to kill you, Barry Allen. And this time, I won’t fail.” He stomps on the younger man’s chest again, blood staining Barry’s lips when he coughs and wheezes. The speedster blinks back the tears in his eyes, focused on the hand the Reverse Flash holds up and vibrates at an alarming speed. His ribs and back scream in protest as he squirms, images of his heart being torn to shreds flash before his eyes when the older man leans forward, tips of his fingers about to press through the flesh and bone protecting the pumping organ.

A second gunshot rings out, and this time it hits its target. From then on everything seems to move in slow motion, Wells – _Eobard_ – stilling in his movements, the red stain blossoming like a flower over Wells’ heart as it stains the yellow suit. A wet cough allows blood to drip down his chin, collapsing to his knees beside Barry seconds later with hateful eyes before looking over his shoulder weakly. Joe holds the smoking gun that’s still trained on Eobard, standing in front of Iris and Eddie who are watching while wearing matching expressions of shock.

 

“Stay away from my son.”

 

Barry turns groans in pain as he pushes himself away from the Reverse Flash the best he can. The older metahuman coughs again, dropping to his side while his breath escapes his lungs in harsh pants.

 

“I’ve controlled your life for so long, Barry.” The body shudders, the illusion of Wells retracting to leave a blond man in its place. “How will you get along without me?” With a final gasping breath Eobard’s heart stops beating, body relaxing into the growing puddle of blood. Barry watches on with mixed emotions, pushing himself up weakly as he wraps his arms around his battered body, lungs aching as he tries to catch this breath.

 

Just when it seems it’s over the singularity forms, the pull of its gravity already sucking in small bits of debris and metal.

 

“No…” Cisco breathes out in shock, backing up while Barry swears under his breath. Professor Stein is shouting at them over the com system, telling them they need to get out of the pipeline and _now_. Wasting no more time, Iris and Cisco work to help Eddie while Joe pulls one of Barry’s arms over his shoulder, helping to support his son’s weight.

Barry hisses in pain at the action, any protest dying in his throat as the group of them leave the pipeline just as the Singularity pulls in Eobard’s limp body. The entirety of the group leave the building as soon as they can, staring up at the gaping wormhole above them.

 

“So that’s what we didn’t want to happen,” Cisco has to yell above the sound of the vortex and crumbling buildings, Caitlin following him up.

 

“What’s it doing?”

 

“Feeding.” Professor Stein explains, unable to tear his eyes from the spacial mass. “The Singularity won’t stop, not even after the Earth is gone.” Barry pulls away from Joe, looking between the wormhole and the City it’s already starting to devour. Stein explains further, Joe shooting him a look of worry and confusion as Caitlin asks what it means.

 

“We have to disrupt the motion!” Barry states, doing a double-take on Cisco who’s seemed to have zoned out completely. “Basically, it’s just like the tornado only upside down. And bigger. And scarier.”

 

“Barry, that event has an energy level of at _least_ 6.7 terra-electron volts. It cannot be stopped!”

 

But there’s not even a choice anymore.

 

“I have to try.”

 

The rings rests heavily against his chest as he pulls his mask on, a reminder of what he’ll leave behind should he fail.

 

 _I’m so sorry, Oliver_.

* * *

 

 

Once Stein is safely on the ground, _No Ronnie, can’t see him, can’t find him oh god,_ Barry’s legs collapse under him. Landing harshly on the pavement he catches himself on shaky arms, chest heaving as his body screams its protests at every movement. The adrenalin is leaving his system rapidly, leaving him dizzy and all too aware of his injuries. Caitlin kneels beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder but he can’t hear what she’s saying, can barely make out her figure and that of Stein’s beside her or Joe behind him, calling Barry’s name.

 

He tries to speak, tongue heavy and throat constricting but the world is spinning and white spots are dancing in his vision and before he knows it his arms, too, collapse and he falls forward. He barely acknowledges his foster father’s shout of concern, or the fact Caitlin had caught him before the hit the ground because moments later his vision blacks out.

 

*

Barry drops in and out of consciousness for the next few minutes, never coherent enough to form words, head flopping bonelessly against Joe’s chest as the detective rushes his son back in to STAR Labs, Caitlin and Cisco hot on their heels, Stein behind them. Iris had left to take Eddie to the Hospital, torn until Joe had assured her Barry was in safe hands and Eddie needed to be tended to ASAP.

 

The team work around him, pulling out the usual gurney once they reach the cortex. No sooner had Joe placed the young man down, Caitlin was placing an oxygen mask across his face, Barry blinking blearily but otherwise concerningly unresponsive. It seems his son is fighting to stay awake as his head lolls on the pillow while Cisco is pulling open the jacket of the Flash Suit, wincing as he’s immediately greeted with a multitude of painful and colourful bruising.

That isn’t what grabs his attention, though. It’s the simple silver ring embedded with a small emerald, suspended by a sterling chain around Barry’s bruised neck that has them all staring.

 

“Holy shit!” Cisco breathes, laughing a little hysterically under his breath. “Is that what I think it is?” Joe, too, would like to know if that is exactly what it looks like. If it is, he has a more than a few questions for his son. The first being ‘ _Why exactly is there an engagement ring around your neck?’_ followed by ‘ _Who the hell gave it to you without first seeking my permission?’_

Barry, for his part, doesn’t seem to remember this was something he was hiding, nor does it appear that he’s listening to anything they’re saying. Caitlin is the first to snap out of her daze, pointing in the direction of the equipment in the adjacent room.

 

“Later, Cisco, we have bigger problems right now.”  
  
Cisco nods, half running to retrieve the tools while the other males in the room give the pair space, all looking upon the speedster on the gurney with worry. Joe had known, of course, that Barry had been injured while fighting the Reverse Flash but the detective hadn’t suspected this amount of damage, especially with Barry’s accelerated healing. His foster son must have been a world of pain as he ran inside that Singularity, and Joe had let him go without a single word of protest. The worst part is, this is only the physical damage. The older man can’t even begin to fathom just what Barry’s mental state is right now, considering the events of the day.

 

Once again he’d failed in protecting his kid. Even now, he can do nothing but look on as the scientists flit around, putting Barry back together the best they can.

 

It leaves a sour taste in his mouth.

* * *

 

 

Oliver is down in the foundry with Thea when they catch wind of something massive happening in Central City. Thea immediately pulls up a live news feed, gasping at the sight of the gaping wormhole above the city. His grip on the back of his sister’s chair tightens when he catches sight of a familiar red and yellow streak racing up the side of a skyscraping, jumping off rubble and towards the Singularity.

Oliver sucks in a sharp breath as the speedster enters the wormhole, though it’s Thea that breaks the tense silence when she asks;

 

“What is he doing?”

 

It’s almost as if she’s read his mind. Still, the physics of it is far beyond him; he wouldn’t even have a clue where to begin explaining this whole mess.

 

The circles Barry’s forming around the entrance of the Singularity are tightening by the second, the rift shrinking almost unnoticeably as Firestorm flies in alongside the speedster. Team Arrow hold their breath as an explosion engulfs the sky, the reporter in front of the camera ducking with a shout.

 

Oliver visibly relaxes when the yellow lightning reappears, heading straight back to the Earth, his sister slumping into the chair with a loud exhale. A few minutes of contemplative silence later, the door of the foundry opens loudly, followed by the sound of two pairs of footsteps on the stairs.

Felicity appears first, staring openly at Oliver with an unreadable expression as Laurel follows behind her.

 

“Why are you still here?

 

“What?” He ventures when Felicity narrows her eyes behind her glasses, holding his hands up in surrender.

 

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Oliver. Get going!” It seems that the vigilante is the only one confused, seeing as the rest of the team is now giving him the same look as the IT girl. They can’t all possibly know about-

 

“Do you honestly think we don’t know about you and Barry, Ollie?” Thea sighs, crossing her arms with a pout and turning around in her chair “Give us some credit.” He swivels his head to give his sister a scowl, shifting under the stares of the three females. Honestly, he doesn’t quite know how to respond. So he asks the only thing he can.

 

“How did you know?”

 

Felicity approaches him, placing a hand on his shoulder with a crooked smile.

 

“Oliver, you are terrible at keeping relationships secret.” The vigilante was so sure that he and Barry had been as secretive as possible about their relationship – even more so once Oliver had proposed. “And we saw the ring.” Ah, that explained it.

 

“But that’s not the point,” The blonde shakes her head as she retracts her hand and takes a step back. “Why are you still here?! Go!” She motions to the door, encouraged by Thea and Laurel who are fixing him with sly grins.

 

“What- I’m sure he’s fine. And besides, I can’t just show up in Central City, Felicity.” Oliver shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Thea kicks out at his shin with an all too familiar pout and glare.

 

“Your fiancé literally just ran inside a wormhole and back and you’re not even going to pay him a visit? Really, Ollie?” Thea sounds as exasperated as she stands up from her chair to push at her older brother’s back, steering him to the entrance of the foundry. “We can hold down the fort for a little while.”

 

“Make sure he’s okay, alright? For all of us.” Oliver winces at the sad, accepting tone of Felicity’s words, turning around to offer an apology when she shakes her head. “It’s okay, Oliver. I’m happy for _both_ of you.” She really is too good for him. Oliver lips tug upwards slightly and then he’s out, running up and out of the foundry to his motorbike parked just outside the Verdant.

 

He has a speedster to see.

* * *

 

 

When Oliver finally makes it to STAR Labs, the sun has already set. The building, now even more damaged than before, is still lit up so it’s a fair assumption that there is still somebody inside. He’d tried ringing Barry’s phone shortly after he arrived only to have the call immediately diverted to voicemail. Trying not to dwell on the implications of that, Oliver enters the building and heads straight to the Cortex.

 

Cisco is the only one present, surprisingly enough, the younger man jumping and almost choking on his lollipop when Oliver knocks loudly on the frame, the other hand tucked firmly in his pocket. The rest of Team Flash must have returned home.

 

“O-Oliver! What brings you here- Well, Barry, I’m guessing but,” He seems to caught some of Barry and Felicity’s awkward rambling, probably a side effect of being around the aforementioned metahuman for too long. Oliver quirks an eyebrow, lips pressed together when Cisco finally catches himself. “Right, uh, let me just-”

The engineer shuffles past the vigilante and heads down one of the countless hallways, checking over his shoulder once to make sure Oliver is following. Oliver didn’t even need to be asked. The young Hispanic stops to stand beside an otherwise unremarkable door, sucking loudly on the sucker in his mouth.

 

“He’s uh, in there. Caitlin wanted to move him somewhere quieter since we’re not quite sure on his mental state…” The concern is clearly evident in his voice, Oliver’s hand stilling on the door handle. “But I’m sure he’s fine!” Oliver isn’t convinced but nods his thanks anyway.

 

“Thanks, Cisco.”

 

“No problem, dude! Congratulations, by the way, on the whole engagement thing. Assuming it’s you, which would be really awkward if it wasn’t, but.” The older man cringes as Cisco goes off on another spiel, opening the door before it can go any further while simultaneously thinking _how the hell does he know?!_

 

“Thank you.” It’s all the confirmation the younger man needs before he’s beaming brightly despite the day’s earlier occurrences, heading back down the hallway towards, presumably, the Cortex to monitor things. He picks up snippets of Cisco’s personal conversation, such as ‘ _Oh my god, the Arrow and the Flash, this is too cool.’_ Followed by ‘ _They need a superhero team up name!’_

 

_Oh, God._

 

Suppressing a shiver at the impending horror of Cisco’s nicknames, Oliver finally enters the room where Barry’s resting. The small room is cluttered with medical equipment, Barry’s bed pushed just off center and surrounded by IVs and statistic indicators. His fiancé doesn’t stir as Oliver closes the door behind and approaches the gurney, reaching out to brush his hands through the tussled brown hair.

 

Barry looks _terrible_. It makes the older man’s heart ache at the mere sight of it, that he didn’t help prevent this.

 

“Oh, Barr.”

 

The younger man’s jacket has been removed, revealing a bruised and bandaged torso. An oxygen mask is fitted to his face, IV drips in both arms as sensors are taped in a number of places across the young man’s chest. Light bruises circle Barry’s neck like a collar, Oliver’s protective side flaring when he realises why the pattern looks so familiar. Fingerprints.

Somebody has _choked_ Barry. It’s clear that Barry has physically exhausted himself to the point that his hyper-healing has slowed considerably, and after a little rest, will be completely fine within a few hours - but that doesn’t ease Oliver’s concern and anger. What the _hell_ had he missed?

 

The shine of silver and emerald catches his eye as he continues the observation of his fiancé – His engagement ring is resting solidly on Barry’s collarbone, on display for anybody and everybody that comes to check on him.

 

 _Oh, that’s how Cisco knew_. Which leaves the question, just who _else_ knows?

 

Oliver sinks into the chair by Barry’s bedside, curling one of the younger man’s hands protectively between his own as he places a feather-light kiss on the knuckles. It’s quickly becoming apparent he has missed so much, _too much_ , in regards to Barry. The older vigilante has half a mind to go and demand some answers from Cisco, but remains firmly seated in his chair, stroking his thumb over the back of Barry’s hand as he focuses on the sound of Barry’s breathing.

 

Questions could wait, he decides. Barry needs him here, and so he’ll wait patiently for the younger man to wake up, no matter how long it takes. As he loses himself in his thoughts, watching the speedster with careful blue eyes, he becomes hyperaware of the chain hanging around his own neck, holding up a matching ring decorated with a single ruby.

 

*

 

Oliver is half asleep in his chair when somebody else finally enters the room. The sound of the door handle creaking snaps him to attention, jerking to sit up straight while his clasped hands tighten around Barry’s.

He’s understandably on edge when Joe West appears in the door way, surprise painted across his features once he sees Oliver by his son’s beside. The surprise is quickly replaced with annoyance and a paternal protectiveness. Sure, the detective is now certain just _what_ Oliver means to Barry, but he’s by no means comforted by the confirmation.

 

His _son_ is _engaged_ to the _Arrow_. And he has absolutely no idea how he missed this.

 

“Detective West.” Oliver greets curtly, tense and coiled like a spring. Barry sleeps on peacefully, most of the bruises and lacerations having faded. Joe isn’t at all impressed by Oliver’s politeness, eyes flicking to where Oliver has Barry’s hand hidden. In a way, the man is glad Barry hasn’t yet woken, because Joe and Oliver need to have _words_.

 

“Arrow.” Joe grits out, hands poised on his hips in a way that shows off the gun holstered to his side. “I think we need to talk, don’t you?” By the look on the younger man’s face, he wants to make some kind of snide comment, but smartly holds his tongue. It’s a start.

 

“Yes, I suppose we do.”

Joe pulls another chair out of the corner, setting it beside Oliver’s by the bed, glancing at his foster son who snuffles in his sleep. The sound prompts a fond smile to form on Oliver’s face before he quickly schools himself. Barry’s not even awake and he’s still managing to charm the older man.

 

Plopping down into the seat, Joe peers at Oliver in his peripheral. Where should he start?

 

“How long has this been going on?” He means the relationship as a whole, not quite the engagement, but Oliver understands nonetheless. The younger man sighs and relaxes his shoulders minutely.

“Eight months, roughly. The ring is a fairly recent development.” The blond looks supremely uncomfortable as he answers, blue eyes darting to Barry in hopes that his significant other will save him from the inevitable ‘Father Talk’. No such luck.

 

“Does anybody else know?” Joe knows already that if he wants a detailed version of this he’s going to have to dig it out of Barry – Oliver isn’t one for much discussion and it seems he’s even less inclined to speak about his relationship with the speedster.

 

“My team, though they found out on their own.” So Team Flash were the only ones kept out of the loop, he guesses. Adult or not, once Barry awakes, he is going to be grounded for a very long time.

 

“The two of you are going to have to let everybody else know, you realise. They have their suspicions on who Barry’s ‘mystery suitor’ is; you shouldn’t have kept them in the dark in the first place.” Oliver hums in agreement as he watches his fiancé’s chest rise and fall with each breath.

 

“I know.”

 

Joe finds it difficult to remain irate at the younger man when he’s looking at his son with such adoration and concern. They may not have had many interactions but the Detective knows that Oliver Queen is a man who keeps everything very close to his chest, preferring to put on a façade around others. But it seems not even stoic Oliver Queen is resistant to Barry Allen’s trusting nature, friendly acceptance and kind eyes – Even less resistant to it than Iris and even Joe himself.

 

 

His distrust and wariness of the Arrow lessens slightly as he bears witness to the emotions displayed so openly on Oliver’s face as he turns to Barry. Adoration, concern and so much _love_ , but there’s something else there too.

 

“I’ve missed a lot, haven’t I?”

 

 _Guilt_.

 

“Yes.”

 

There’s no point in sugarcoating it. If Oliver is as serious about Barry as the matching jewellery suggests then he deserves to know just what’s been happening. Even if Joe is slightly miffed that the older man needs to be updated on the situation in any case. _Then again, Barry’s never been too forthcoming with information where the Reverse Flash is concerned_.

 

“You’re going to have to make this right, Oliver. I don’t like complicated.”

 

Oliver opens his mouth to respond, words dying in his throat as Barry makes a quiet noise, legs shifting under the blankets. The younger man opens his eyes carefully, licking his dry lips. Unfocused green eyes stare up at the roof, blinking slowly as Barry orientates himself.

 

“Ow.” The speedster rasps through the oxygen mask, head flopping to the side once he realises his hand’s been held captive and he can’t clumsily grab at the mask. His eyes are still foggy as he takes in the sight of both Oliver and Joe by his bed, squeezing Oliver’s fingers.

Releasing the metahuman’s hand, Oliver pulls the mask down so it’s resting under Barry’s chin. Joe has stood from his chair, patting his foster son’s knee comfortingly with a relieved smile.

 

“Welcome back, Barr.” Barry grins, looking to and from Oliver and Joe nervously, ignoring the chill of the room- _He isn’t wearing a shirt. Ring around neck. Shit._ At least it explained why Joe looked like he was caught between being relieved Barry had woken and being furious.

 

“But don’t think you’re out of trouble, young man.”

 

Oliver clears his throat awkwardly, patting his fiancé’s hand once in support as the younger man dons an expression of slight fear. Honestly he isn’t at all prepared to have this talk with Joe right now - part of the reason he never bought it up – but he’s even less inclined to talk about his and Oliver’s relationship when his feelings are a jumbled, horrible mess.

 

“We will talk about this later.” The Detective takes pity on him, aware of the mental strain Barry’s been placed under the last few days. If he could, he’d demand a full explanation with accompanying report but more stress is the last thing Barry needs, not after the Reverse Flash and his _mother_ and the Singularity that threatened to swallow them all whole.

 

This, whatever _this_ was between Oliver and Barry, could wait. Joe gently shakes the knee his hand has been resting on, preparing himself for speech when the door flies open. Oliver places himself in front of Barry instinctively, hands raised in preparation of a fight while Joe has raises a hand to the holstered gun on his side. Iris stands wide-eyed in the door way, surprise and apologetic about her unannounced entrance. The two older men relax, Barry making a quiet noise behind him as he shifts around on the gurney in an attempt to see his new visitor and waving at his foster sister when he comes into view.

 

Iris is more interested in the ex-billionaire standing in front of the speedster who’s observing her with a quiet caution.

 

“Uh, Mr. Queen?” Sure, the reporter knows that Oliver and Barry are friends – she’s still sulking that Barry hadn’t told her that little tidbit of information sooner – she just wasn’t aware they were such _close_ friends, which they had to have be if Oliver was prompted to visit the metahuman so soon after the incident.

Barry shifts again, trying to get comfortable but the movement catches her dark eyes, zeroing in on the jewellery Barry’s wearing. _That’s a really nice ring-_ Her eyes widen while he mouth forms a silent ‘O’.

 

Oliver Queen making the long trip to visit Barry. Barry wearing a ring. An _engagement_ ring.

 

“Barry, what-“ Joe shifts to block his daughter’s view, reaching out to spin her around and lead her out of the room, throwing a meaningful look over his shoulder as he exits. Barry runs a clumsy hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck after that.

 

“I’m sorry, Oliver.” The brunette’s voice is quiet and raspy, green eyes dropping to stare at his blanket-covered lap. He hadn’t meant for the information to get out this way, wanted to keep private life exactly that; private. Oliver had felt the same and so, when the older man had proposed, the pair of them agreed to keep quiet about the arrangement, just like they had about their relationship.

This was something for _them_ , something private unlike most other things in their lives. But now he’d gone and botched it, put Oliver in an uncomfortable position, would have to explain to his friends and family that he’d gone behind their backs and _lied_ again and didn’t even own up to it of his own accord.

 

Barry wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle their disappointment. Could barely handle the disappointment in _himself_ because this was just something else to add to the list of things Barry had screwed up in the past week.

 

 _Couldn’t tell Oliver what he was going to do, couldn’t keep their secret, couldn’t keep his emotions in check, couldn’t stop Eddie from hurting himself, nor save Ronnie and he **couldn’t save his mother**_.

 

He fists the fabric beneath his hands, biting down on his lip to prevent the tears from pooling in his eyes. Oliver, ever observant, isn’t fooled for a minute. Wrapping the younger man carefully in his arms, Oliver pulls Barry to his chest, holds him without a word when the first sob passes the speedster’s lips. Pressing his lips to the other’s temple when the first tear drops, Oliver accommodates Barry when the young man presses closer to him, trying to hide himself in the vigilante’s embrace, where he knows he’s safe to fall apart.

 

“I’ve got you, Barr.” _You’re safe here_.

* * *

 

 

“We should go face the music.” Barry murmurs into the crook of Oliver’s neck, pulling carefully at the IV lines and sensors. Oliver isn’t sure the younger man should be taking his medical care into his own hands, but he’s as keen as Barry is to leave the cramped room, so he bites his tongue and instead rubs his thumb over the entry sites.

 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Barry.” There’s the familiar undertone of concern in the older man’s half-hearted protest. It isn’t that Oliver is scared of Team Flash or the Wests, or that he’s ashamed of Barry (how could he _ever_ be ashamed of somebody so bright and good and beautiful?). No, he loves Barry with every part of his damaged heart, knows nothing _anybody_ could say would make him love the speedster any less and he _knows_ that Barry feels the exact same way about him.

 

But he understands how much Barry’s companions mean to the metahuman, how heavily their opinions and thoughts weigh on the younger man’s mind. What he’s worried about is how fragile Barry is at the moment, terrified that a single word or look will shatter him completely, despite how quickly he can bounce back usually.

 

Unfortunately, this is different. This isn’t usually.

 

And he can’t help but feel angry at himself for not being here sooner, leaving Barry behind as he had his adventure over in Nanda Parbat with the League of Assassins.

“Should you be getting up?” He asks as Barry swings his legs over the side of the gurney, wiggling his toes under the edge of the sweatpants he’s wearing. His legs feel a little numb, a little sore but nothing he can’t handle, so he stands before Oliver can stop him, wobbling for a split second.

 

“I’m fine, Oliver.” Barry gives the older man one of his special grins, the one Oliver has learned to read as _‘I’m kind of exasperated by you but you’re so charming I can’t be annoyed.’_ Reaching for the sweatshirt tucked away on one of the tables, Barry pulls it over his head with a wince when his bruised ribs remind him that they are, in fact, still tender.

Oliver makes a sympathetic noise behind him, sliding off the bed himself and straightening his clothes.

 

Evidently, Barry isn’t too concerned about the lack of footwear, because he’s heading straight to the door, lingering in the hallway as he waits for Oliver to follow. After a beat, the older man does so, reaching up to unclip the chain around Barry’s neck.

 

A flash of hurt crosses Barry’s face as the older vigilante slips the ring off the necklace and pockets the chain. Oliver smiles reassurance at his fiancé, cradling Barry’s left hand in one of his own and sliding the ring on the speedster’s ring finger.  
Once that’s done he drops their hands back to their sides, slotting his fingers between Barry’s and squeezing gently. Barry, is fighting back tears, heart swelling with so much appreciation and love he’s afraid it’s going to burst in his chest.

 

He beams at his fiancé, swinging the joined appendages lightly as the leads the way to the Cortex with a pleasant blush across his cheeks although the storm that follows him still hangs over his head.

 

But having Oliver here by his side makes everything just that little bit lighter, the clouds seem to clear just that little bit.

 

When they arrive at the Cortex hand in hand, all conversation amongst Team Flash cease as they all turn their attention toward the couple. Barry takes a deep breath as Oliver squeezes his hand again, his fiancé anchoring him, the metal around his finger pleasantly warm.

 

“Guys, I’d like to reintroduce you to Oliver Queen…” Barry peers at Oliver through his lashes, smiling shyly as he returns to address his team.

 

“... My fiancé.”


End file.
